The 52 Book Club: 2025 / 2026 Challenge discussion

12 -- A Genre-Defining Read

For this prompt, we’re looking for books that define the genre. These are books (or authors) that played foundational roles in the development or creation of genres or specific sub-genres. This may be one of the first books ever written in that genre, or a book that played a key role in popularizing the genre for a mass market.

Some authors have played integral roles in the development of specific genres (For example, Jules Verne and science fiction). In that case, any book by those authors may be considered genre-defining.

Personal definitions of what is considered a “genre-defining read” will vary widely from individual to individual, and that’s okay!



Here is our Goodreads List for this prompt

Cool, since I'm already reading Eclipse for one of the prompts, I'll read Twilight for this one.

I think I am going to read a Brothers Grimm story since their stories played a fundamental role in the development of modern fairy tales.

Going with a classic Agatha Christie mystery - And Then There Were None